Real Estate Tax

The Real Estate Tax is calculated by multiplying the millage rate and the assessed value of the property. (Assessment x millage rate = tax)

Real Estate Tax bills are mailed on or about July 1, 2018 to all school district property owners and may be paid at a 2% discount until August 31,2018. After October 31, 2018, a 10% penalty is added. This bill represents the tax year of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.

All taxes not paid by December 31, 2018 are turned over to Portnoff Law Associates for collection.

Due Dates for Full Payment

August 31, 2018

2% Discount

October 31, 2018

Base Tax Due

After October 31, 2018

10% Penalty

Due Dates for Installment Payments

August 13, 2018

1st Installment Due

September 17, 2018

2nd Installment Due

October 31, 2018

3rd Installment Due

December 3, 2018

4th Installment Due

Installment Payments:

A 10% penalty will be applied to late installment payments including payments postmarked after the due dates listed above.

If installment payments were started, any late installments will incur a penalty even if the full base amount is paid by the base due date.

There are no discounts on installment payments unless the full tax is paid prior to August 31.

All four installment coupons were mailed with the original bill. NO additional coupons will be mailed.

You must retain the original bill with the remaining coupons in order to remit payment of the subsequent installments.

A receipt will be issued after the final payment is received.

The envelope postmark is considered the payment date for all mailed payments.

There is no grace period.

Tax bills are mailed to the last known postal address of each property owner. Please contact the BASD Tax Office if you have not received your notice by July 15th.

Address changes are the property owner's responsibility. The property owner must contact the County Assessment Office to complete the required forms to properly change or update the address of record.Northampton County 610-829-6155 | Lehigh County 610-782-3038

Local Tax Collection Law

Act of May 25, 1945, P.L. 1050, No. 394, and all amendments through October 1, 1996; The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 7. Effect of Failure to Receive a Tax Notice (Purdon's Statute 72, Section 5511.7)
Failure to receive notice shall not relieve any taxpayer from the payment of any taxes imposed by any taxing district, and such taxpayer shall be charged with his taxes as though he had received notice.

Please include the bill stub with your payment in the envelope provided.

If no stub is available, please mail to:

Bethlehem Area School District
1516 Sycamore Street
Bethlehem, PA 18017-6099

It is recommended that you mail your payment 5-7 days prior to the due date. If this is not possible, it is best to personally deliver your payment to the postal counter. Do not leave your payment in your personal mailbox or a street side box. There is no guarantee that your envelope will be postmarked that day.

Receipts can only be obtained by including a self-addressed stamped envelope with your payment. Requests must be mailed to Bethlehem Area School District, 1516 Sycamore Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017. If paying the bill in full, please include the top and bottom portions of your bill. The top portion will be returned as your stamped receipt. Official receipts for installment payments will be processed after the final installment is paid.

Receipt requests mailed to the Philadelphia address cannot be processed and the envelopes cannot be returned.

Payments in person:

Please bring your entire bill to the Bethlehem Area School District Education Center located at 1516 Sycamore Street during normal business hours of 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

Extended hours are available on August 13 & 31, September 17, October 31, and December 3, 2018- 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

The Tax Office will be CLOSED on the following dates: July 4, September 3, November 22-23, December 24-31, 2018, January 1, 2 & 21, February 18, April 18, 19, and 22, May 27, 2019.

Personal checks, cashier's checks or money orders should be made payable to "Bethlehem Area School District". Please indicate your Bill Number in the memo portion of your check.

A $30 fee will be issued for returned checks.

NO CASH will be accepted.

For your convenience, payments may be placed in the secure drop box located to the right of the main entrance at the top of the ramp at the Education Center on Sycamore Street. The drop box is available 24 hours a day.

Online payments can be made using VISA, Mastercard or Discover. A 2.45% user fee will be added to your transaction total by the service provider.

Online Banking Payments:

Electronic payment made through your online bank MUST reference the six-digit bill number to ensure that your payment is applied to your account properly and expeditiously. Do not use prior year bill or account numbers as they may not be valid for the current year. Please ensure that your payment is mailed to 1516 Sycamore Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017.

Receipts can only be obtained by including a self-addressed stamped envelope with your payment. Requests must be mailed to Bethlehem Area School District, 1516 Sycamore Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017. If paying the bill in full, please include the top and bottom portions of your bill. The top portion will be returned as your stamped receipt. Official receipts for installment payments will be processed after the final installment is paid.

Receipt requests mailed to the Philadelphia address cannot be processed and the envelopes cannot be returned.

Fees/Penalties

Returned Checks

$30.00

Late Payments

10%

Duplicate bills

$10.00

Credit Card Payments

User fees apply

Interim Taxes

Interim taxes are levied under ACT 544 of 1953 (Section 677.1) on the increase in assessed valuations of local property as a result of construction or improvements to that property. The interim assessment is calculated by taking the difference between the previous assessment and the new assessment. The Northampton and Lehigh County Assessment Offices provide the District with the assessed value of the new construction or improvement, and the District Tax Office calculates the amount of the tax due using the following formula:

Assessment increase x Millage rate x Time period of interim

The time period on which the interim billing is based begins when the improvements are completed or, in the case of new construction, the date of occupancy and is calculated based on the District's fiscal year which begins July 1 and ends June 30. The payment due date for your interim tax will vary from your current real estate tax depending on when the change is processed by the County. The payment due dates are printed on the tax bill.

For questions concerning your property's interim assessment, please contact the Northampton County Assessment Office at 610-829-6155 or the Lehigh County Assessment Office at 610-782-3038.

Delinquent Real Estate Tax

Delinquent taxes are those taxes that were not collected during the original tax period in which they were issued. For tax bills issued on July 1, the property owner has until December 31 to make payment in full. After December 31, the taxes are considered delinquent and all account information is forwarded to the appointed delinquent tax collector and the county tax claim bureau.

Once a property is sent to delinquent tax collection, the school district is no longer involved in the payment or collection process. A lien is placed on the property for the delinquent amount due and all payments made to clear the lien must be made to the delinquent collector. Property owners may call Portnoff Law Associates at 1-866-211-9466 to make payment arrangements or to obtain further information on their account. Delinquent property owners are urged to contact Portnoff Law Associates as soon as possible to avoid additional collection fees.

Tax Certifications

Tax certifications can be requested in writing to the Bethlehem Area School District.

Requests must include the taxpayer's name, property location, county parcel ID, municipality, and the tax year. If any of the information required is not included, your request may be delayed.

Please mail your written request along with a $20 processing fee payable to "Bethlehem Area School District" and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Requests can be returned via fax to a local or toll free number or by email.

Tax certifications cover only one (1) tax year. However, every effort will be given to alert requestors of any prior year delinquencies. If a prior year delinquency may exist, you must contact our delinquent collector, Portnoff Law Associates at 866-211-9466, for exact details of any open balance.

Interim bills may not be included in the tax certification for the current year. Any delinquent interim bills must be verified with our delinquent tax collector. Every effort will be made to alert the requestor of such delinquencies.

Tax Years

Tax Collectors

2012-13 and after

Bethlehem ASD610-861-0500

2011-12 and prior

City of Bethlehem610-865-7125

Tax Years

Delinquent Tax Collectors

2011-12 and after

Portnoff Law Associates800-211-9466

2010-11 and prior

County Tax Claim BureauNorthampton County
610-829-6186Lehigh County
610-782-3119

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact our office at 610-861-0500 Option 2 or email taxoffice@basdschools.org.

Homestead/Farmstead Exclusions - Taxpayer Relief

Governor Rendell signed Special Session Act 1 of 2006 (PDF), the Taxpayer Relief Act, on June 27, 2006. This law will ease the financial burden of home ownership by providing school districts the means to lower property taxes to homeowners via the funding provided by gaming revenue.

In order to be eligible for a property tax reduction, you must have applied for and been approved by the county assessment office for the homestead or farmstead exclusion by March 1st. If you are a new resident or have not previously applied for the Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion, please contact the Northampton County Assessment Office at 610-829-6155 or the Lehigh County Assessment Office at 610-782-3038.

Under a homestead or farmstead property tax exclusion, the assessed value of each homestead or farmstead is reduced by the same amount before the property tax is computed.

PA Property Tax/Rent Rebate

The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters. Half of Social Security income is excluded.

The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975.

The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is one of five programs supported by the Pennsylvania Lottery. Since the program's 1971 inception, older adults and adults with disabilities have received $4.8 billion in of property tax and rent rebates. The rebate program also receives funding from slots gaming.

Homeowners now receive:

Income

Maximum Rebate

$0 to $8,000

$650

$8,001 to $15,000

$500

$15,001 to $18,000

$300

$18,001 to $35,000

$250

Renters now receive:

Income

Maximum Rebate

$0 to $8,000

$650

$8,001 to $15,000

$500

In addition, the law gives even more tax relief to the seniors in most need:

* Seniors who live in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Scranton, where local wage/income tax rates are very high, will not benefit from a local tax shift to lower taxes on top of the reduction offered by the state funded property tax relief. To ensure that seniors in these communities receive significant property tax relief, each senior household with income under $30,000 has its property tax rebate increase by an additional 50 percent.

* In addition, property tax rebates are increased by an additional 50 percent for senior households in the rest of state, so long as those households have incomes under $30,000 and pay more than 15 percent of income in property taxes.

The deadline to apply for a rebate on property taxes or rent is June 30.

You may download a form or obtain a paper form from the Revenue district office or legislator's office nearest you.